Cartridge belt for automatic guns or machine guns



". y 4, 1944- Q I P. R. HIGSON 2,352,954

CARTRIDGE BELT FOR AUTOMATIC (Hills OR MACHINE GUNS Filed June 18 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented July 4, 1944 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE CARTRIDGE BELT FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS OR MACHINE GUNS Percy Reuben Higson, Sidcup, England, assignor to Vickers-Armstrongs Limited, London, England, a. British company 1 Claim.

This invention relates to metallic cartridge belts of the disintegrating link type for use in automatic guns or machine guns, particularly light shell firing guns of the automatic type, the cartridges in such belts constituting the sole means for connecting the links together.

The cartridges in the case of the belt forming the subject of the present application are intended to be withdrawn from the links in a lateral downward direction.

The chief object of the invention is to evolve an improved metallic two part link for use in the formation of a metallic cartridge belt of the disintegrating link type having means for positively locking the cartridges in position and preventing withdrawal of the cartridges in a lateral downward direction until the first or endmost cartridge in the belt has been withdrawn either by hand or otherwise in an endwise direction, the action of withdrawing the endmost cartridge rendering the locking means inoperative and thus permitting of the lateral withdrawal of the succeeding cartridges one by one in a downward direction.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into eifect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a cartridge belt constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates the belt in side elevation; and

Figures 3 and 4 are plan views respectively of the upper and lower parts comprising each link.

The belt which is of the disintegrating metallic link type is built up from a number of separate links which are joined together by the cartridges when the belt is in use, each link consisting of two parts namely an upper main part and an auxiliary lower part. The main upper part, the general shape of which is shown in Figure 3 and which alone is incapable of retaining a cartridge, the latter being indicated by the reference numeral I, comprises a single arcuate shaped portion 2 adapted to embrace one of a pair of cartridges over a little more than half its circumference, and two spaced portions 3 also of arcuate shape and likewise adapted to embrace the other adjacent cartridge over a little more than half its circumference, the portions 3 being spaced apart suificiently to receive the portion 2 of an adjacent link between them, the portion 2 being of substantially greater width than the portions 3.

The portions 2 and 3 are connected together by an integral intermediate portion 4 of a width such that the cartridges will be equally spaced apart the required amount.

Each lower part 5 is of the shape in plan shown in Figure 4, and is permanently hinged to the portion 4 of the upper part, the lower part including depending arcuate shaped limb portions 6 which, by virtue of their engagement with the two cartridges carried by the upper part, maintain them in position. The lower part is pivotally attached to the upper part by means of a pin 1 carried by spaced members 8 secured to the portion 4, the lower part being permitted sufficient pivotal movement to permit the removal of the cartridges one by one when the endmost cartrid e has been withdrawn in an endwise direction, for example, by hand or by other special means in the feed box of the gun at the instant of feeding the belt into the gun.

In Figure 2 the endmost cartridge on the right hand side has been withdrawn, its withdrawal permitting the lower part 5 to pivot into the position shown by dotted lines and the next succeeding cartridge to be withdrawn in a downward direction, its withdrawal permitting the next succeeding cartridge to be withdrawn when required.

The portions 3 are formed with forwardly and rearwardly directed lugs 9 which form means for stripping the cartridges downwardly from the links whilst the portions 2 are formed with forwardly and rearwardly directed lugs H] which, by their engagement with the edges of the portions 3 ensure disengagement of the cartridges from. the positions 2 during stripping.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A metallic two part link for use in the formation of a cartridge belt of the disintegrating link type, said link comprising a flat rectangularly shaped body member, a single arcuately shaped cartridge retaining clip extending laterally from one edge of said body member, two arcuately shaped and coaxially spaced cartridge retaining clips extending from the opposite edge of said body member, a locking member hingedly mounted to said body member, said locking member constructed and arranged to prevent removal of cartridges from said clips except in an endwise direction and said locking means arranged to be operative only when all of said clips are operatively engaging respective cartridges.

PERCY REUBEN HIGSON. 

